Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance

What Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance does

Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) is a university-led research consortium established in 2011 with Washington State University as the lead institution. Its mission is to develop a Pacific Northwest supply chain that converts forest harvest residuals (slash) into biojet fuel and high-value co-products. The consortium's core technology is a sulfite-based pretreatment and fermentation system that converts wood into isobutanol, which is dehydrated and catalytically converted to iso-paraffinic kerosene (IPK) suitable for blending as aviation fuel. NARA also develops methods to valorize lignin-rich solids into activated carbon, thermal plastics, epoxies, industrial chemical feedstocks, and bioplastics, with co-products estimated to contribute up to 42% of projected biorefinery revenue. The consortium's supply chain analysis, life cycle assessments, and feedstock logistics models span Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

NARA operates as a grant-funded, non-commercial research alliance of 22 member organizations from industry, academia, and government laboratories. Industry partners include Alaska Airlines, Weyerhaeuser, Gevo, ICM, ANDRITZ, Boeing, Cosmo Specialty Fibers, and Catchlight Energy (a Weyerhaeuser/Chevron joint venture). Academic partners include Oregon State University, University of Idaho, University of Washington, University of Montana, Montana State University, and Salish Kootenai College. Government laboratories include the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NARA is funded by a five-year, approximately $40 million USDA-NIFA competitive grant (no. 2011-68005-30416) and does not sell products commercially. Instead, it develops technologies, analytical tools (techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, supply chain modeling), and educational programs that enable private-sector biorefineries.

The consortium's major milestone was achieved on November 14, 2016, when Alaska Airlines Flight 4 flew from Seattle to Washington D.C. on a fuel blend containing 1,000 gallons of NARA biojet fuel — the world's first commercial flight using cellulosic-based biofuel. Additional outputs include a filed international patent application for 'Compositions Including Lignin' (PCT/US2015/020599), bioenergy literacy curriculum reaching thousands of K-12 students, the Imagine Tomorrow high school competition with 91 teams involving 316 students, and the biennial Northwest Wood-Based Biofuels + Co-Products Conference. NARA's leadership includes Project Director Ralph Cavalieri (Associate VP for Alternative Energy at WSU) and Project Co-Director Michael Wolcott (Director, Institute for Sustainable Design at WSU). The primary grant period (2011-2016) appears to have concluded; current operational status and any successor funding are uncertain.

Name

Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance

Legal name

Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance

Website

https://nararenewables.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NARA is a WSU-led research consortium (2011-2016) developing technology to convert Pacific Northwest forest harvest residuals into biojet fuel and lignin-based co-products, with 22 member organizations spanning industry, academia, and government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Biofuels Research

NAICS

Cyclic Crude, Intermediate, and Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing (325194), Petroleum Refineries (32411)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Products Of Petroleum & Coal (2990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAAAHAG

Biofuel Upgrading, Hydrotreating & Refining (Co-processing, Isomerization)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Bioenergy, Natural Gas & Biomass/Biofuels Production (Ethanol, Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel, SAF)

SECONDARYEUAAAIAA

Bio-based Platform & Commodity Chemicals (e.g., bio-ethylene, bio-propylene, bio-BTX, bio-methanol)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Bioenergy, Natural Gas & Biomass/Biorefining & Bio-based Chemicals (Co-products, Bioproducts)

SECONDARYEUAAAHAJ

Biofuel Co-products & Byproduct Processing (DDGS, Glycerin, CO2, Lignin)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Bioenergy, Natural Gas & Biomass/Biofuels Production (Ethanol, Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel, SAF)

Keywords

• Wood-based biofuels research
• Sustainable aviation fuel
• Forest residual conversion
• Lignin valorization co-products
• Cellulosic biojet supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding (USDA-NIFA): NARA is a five-year research consortium primarily funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under Competitive Grant no. 2011-68005-30416. Funding amount: approximately $40 million. The consortium does not sell products commercially but develops technologies and economic blueprints that would enable private-sector biorefinery operations to generate revenue from biojet fuel and lignin co-products.
2. Biorefinery revenue projections (projected): Projected economic modeling indicates a Pacific Northwest biorefinery converting forest residuals to biojet fuel and co-products would produce annual revenue of $327 million, generate $277-$295 million in value added through direct, indirect, and induced economic effects, and drive $732-$764 million in total industrial output. Revenue is projected to come from biojet fuel sales and lignin-based co-products (activated carbon, bioplastics, epoxy resins, industrial chemicals). Lignin co-products are estimated to contribute up to 42% of biorefinery revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NARA is a research consortium that develops and demonstrates technologies for converting Pacific Northwest forest harvest residuals (slash) into sustainable aviation biojet fuel and high-value lignin-based co-products. Its core deliverables include the SPORL sulfite-based pretreatment and fermentation system yielding iso-paraffinic kerosene (IPK) jet fuel, lignin valorization methods producing activated carbon, bioplastics, and epoxies, supply chain and life cycle analyses, and K-12/university bioenergy education programs. NARA does not commercialize products directly; it transfers technologies and knowledge to industry partners such as Alaska Airlines, Weyerhaeuser, and Gevo for downstream commercialization.

Product overview

Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) is a research consortium led by Washington State University, not a product company. The alliance develops a wood-to-biojet fuel supply chain using forest harvest residuals. Core offerings include: (1) biojet fuel produced through sulfite pretreatment and fermentation converting forest slash to isobutanol then to IPK; (2) lignin-based co-products including activated carbon, plastics, and chemical feedstocks; (3) bio-energy literacy educational curriculum and programs for K-12 and college students; and (4) sustainability analysis tools including techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, and supply chain site selection methodologies. The consortium's major milestone was the 2016 first commercial flight using cellulosic biojet fuel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biojet Fuel from Forest Residuals (Iso-Paraffinic Kerosene / IPK) Renewable jet fuel produced from Pacific Northwest forest harvest residuals (slash) through a sulfite-based SPORL pretreatment and fermentation process that converts wood into isobutanol, which is then catalytically converted to iso-paraffinic kerosene (IPK). Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 70% compared to petroleum-based jet fuel. Demonstrated at 1,000-gallon scale in the November 2016 Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Washington DC, the world's first commercial flight using cellulosic-based biofuel.
• Lignin-Based Co-products High-value materials developed from lignin-rich solids (approximately 1,450 lbs per ton of forest slash processed), a byproduct of biojet fuel production. Products include activated carbon, thermal plastics, epoxies, industrial chemical feedstocks, polycarboxylic acid curing agents for epoxy applications, bioplastics (PLA blends), and green epoxy resin systems. Projected to contribute up to 42% of biorefinery revenue. Covered by international patent application PCT/US2015/020599 'Compositions Including Lignin.'
• Bio-energy Literacy Curriculum and Educational Programs K-12 and undergraduate educational offerings including the 'Fueling Our Future' curriculum (elementary, middle, and high school editions aligned with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards), 20+ lesson plans, the Imagine Tomorrow high school competition (91 teams, 316 students), McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) programs reaching over 13,000 students, 4-day teacher professional development workshops, monthly teacher webinars, Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) for 48 undergraduates, and Tribal Partnership research opportunities for 16 Native American scholars.
• Supply Chain, Techno-Economic, and Life Cycle Analysis Tools Analytical tools and reports evaluating sustainability and economic viability of forest residual-to-biojet fuel supply chains, including techno-economic analysis (TEA), life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrating 70% lower GHG emissions than petroleum jet fuel, community impact analysis (CIA), GIS-based facility site ranking methodologies, and physical/social asset mapping. Forest residual supply modeling tools and feedstock specifications for optimum conversion to biojet fuel are also delivered.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% lower greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum jet fuel
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core, core and minor.

• Washington State Universityflagship / coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSU is the lead institution and administrative home of NARA, coordinating all consortium activities under USDA-NIFA Grant no. 2011-68005-30416. WSU provides research infrastructure, faculty investigators (including Project Director Ralph Cavalieri and Co-Director Michael Wolcott), and extension services for the five-year, approximately $40 million project.
• US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFS PNW assists in stakeholder engagement, test bed community identification and screening, and convening meetings, workshops, and focus groups with regional stakeholders to advance biorefinery development in the Pacific Northwest.
• US Forest Service Forest Products LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) researcher Dr. Junyong (J.Y.) Zhu demonstrates the patent-pending SPORL (Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome Recalcitrance of Lignocellulose) technique for pretreatment of forest residuals as part of NARA's conversion technology research.
• Alaska Airlinesflagship / coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlaska Airlines served as the airline partner for NARA, providing the demonstration flight using 1,000 gallons of biojet fuel made from forest residuals. In Fall 2016, Alaska Airlines flight #4 flew from Seattle to Washington DC on a fuel blend containing NARA biojet — the world's first commercial flight using cellulosic-based biofuel. Alaska Airlines set a goal of using sustainable aviation biofuel blend on all flights departing one or more airports by 2020.
• Gevo, Inc.flagship / coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGevo provides fermentation and process technology (GIFT — Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology) to convert biomass sugars to isobutanol and further into renewable jet fuel through chemical processing. Gevo's proprietary yeast biocatalyst produces renewable isobutanol from NARA's pretreated forest residuals, which is then catalytically converted to iso-paraffinic kerosene (IPK) for the Alaska Airlines demonstration flight.
• Weyerhaeuserflagship / coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeyerhaeuser coordinates sustainable feedstock production, providing forest residuals from timberlands in western Montana, Oregon, and Washington as feedstock for NARA's biojet fuel production. Weyerhaeuser also established a research site near Springfield, OR to study effects of biomass removal on soil, water, and wildlife, and investigates cost-effective ways to collect harvest residuals for biofuel applications.
• ICMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICM's St. Joseph, Missouri facility contributed to the 1,000-gallon IPK project by performing hydrolysis and fermentation of pretreated forest residuals. ICM is a biofuels equipment and process technology company.
• ANDRITZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANDRITZ conducted pretreatment processing trials at its pilot plant in Springfield, Ohio as part of NARA's evaluation of continuous pretreatment technologies prior to Zeachem's demonstration facility.
• Cosmo Specialty Fibers, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosmo Specialty Fibers (an affiliate of The Gores Group) operates a specialty cellulose mill in Cosmopolis, WA that generates residual process streams convertible into sugars for fuels and chemical production. CSF explores available markets for simple sugars derived from their process streams as a potential NARA feedstock source.
• Catchlight EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatchlight Energy is a joint venture of Weyerhaeuser and Chevron focused on producing liquid transportation biofuels from cellulosic forest-based feedstocks. Gevan Marrs, a NARA contributor from Catchlight, brings 36 years of experience in biomass feedstock value chain analysis.
• Oregon State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSU receives $4.4 million as part of the NARA project, led by Distinguished Professor John Sessions (Strachan Chair of Forest Operations Management). OSU contributes expertise in feedstock logistics, forest operations, silviculture, and modeling of competing vegetation and tree growth for the supply chain analysis.
• University of IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUI faculty in the College of Natural Resources and College of Art and Architecture carry out NARA's education and outreach goals. The GreenSTEM initiative includes K-12 STEM curricula, teacher training, and programs to build a bioenergy workforce. The McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) provides K-12 outdoor science education with bioenergy content.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUW's Ivan Eastin leads the life cycle assessment of the fuel being produced and research on community effects. The Center for International Trade in Forest Products (CINTRAFOR) contributes sustainability and market analysis research.
• University of MontanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UM identifies and collects data on woody biomass inventory, mill and logging residue in the four-state region, and standing forest inventory in Montana and Idaho, supporting NARA's supply chain analysis.
• Montana State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSU Extension Forestry assists the NARA Extension Working Group by providing information and research updates to Montana stakeholders including industry, logging and landowner organizations, and assisting with scoping and test bed site development.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNREL focuses on creative answers to energy challenges and contributes to NARA's research on bioenergy technologies and sustainable fuel production.
• Salish Kootenai CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNARA partnered with SKC's forestry program to provide research opportunities tied to biofuels and bioproducts from woody biomass. Annual summer internship awards (SURE program) are made to SKC Forestry students for summer research experiences at NARA research universities.
• Facing the FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacing the Future develops interdisciplinary K-12 curricula including 'Fueling Our Future: Exploring Sustainable Energy Use' (elementary, middle, and high school editions) aligned with STEM standards. NARA supported the development of these curriculum units and teacher trainings.
• South Hampton ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Hampton Resources, an independent petrochemical manufacturer in southeast Texas, contributed to the 1,000-gallon IPK project by producing iso-paraffinic kerosene (IPK) from isobutanol made from forest residuals, using their production facility and expertise.
• The National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCGR evaluates the genetic basis in woody biomass that leads to desirable traits suitable for aviation fuel and co-products conversion, led by Dr. Callum Bell. This supports NARA's development of a GeneChip for Douglas-fir trait selection.
• ZeachemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZeachem (Boardman, OR) provided its demonstration facility and expertise for the pretreatment step of the wood-to-biojet conversion process as part of the 1,000-gallon IPK production project.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoeing, through Dr. Michael Lakeman (Regional Director of Biofuel Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes), focuses on building capabilities to expand the scale of next-generation biofuels production. Boeing and Alaska Airlines jointly announced funding to review infrastructure requirements to accommodate bio-jet fuel, citing NARA as the justifying research project.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LanzaJet: LanzaJet is a leading alcohol-to-jet SAF producer spun out of LanzaTech with backing from Suncor/BP and airline offtake commitments; competes head-to-head for SAF mandates against cellulosic biojet pathways like NARA's.
• World Energy: World Energy is a long-standing sustainable aviation fuel producer and one of the largest US SAF suppliers to airlines; competes directly with NARA-derived fuel for aviation off-take agreements and low-carbon fuel credit monetization.
• Aemetis: Aemetis produces renewable diesel and SAF from waste oils and woody biomass using cellulosic conversion pathways; competes in the California and federal low-carbon fuel markets with comparable RIN-eligible jet and diesel outputs.
• Gevo: Gevo is a direct technology partner to NARA (GIFT fermentation to isobutanol) and a competing renewable jet fuel producer using alcohol-to-jet pathways; both target ASTM-compliant SAF from cellulosic and low-carbon feedstocks with similar aviation off-takers.
• LanzaTech: LanzaTech is a carbon-recycling fuels company using gas fermentation to produce ethanol-to-jet SAF; competes in the same sustainable aviation fuel market with its own consortium of off-takers (notably LanzaJet) pursuing commercial-scale deployment.
• Velocys: Velocys develops Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert biomass and waste gases into renewable diesel and jet fuel; offers an alternative cellulosic-to-jet pathway targeting similar aviation and regulatory demand drivers as NARA.

Broad incumbents

• Neste: Neste is the global leader in renewable diesel and SAF from waste and residue feedstocks; a broad incumbent whose HEFA-based SAF currently dominates the market that NARA's cellulosic pathway would target.
• BP (Castrol/airline SAF): BP is an integrated oil major investing in SAF through LanzaJet and its own trading and refining operations; a broad incumbent that competes with NARA-derived fuels for airline offtakes and benefits from incumbency in jet fuel distribution.

Emerging players

• Iogen Corporation: Iogen is a pioneer in cellulosic ethanol and biogas technology with long-running demonstrations of biomass-to-fuels processes; an emerging player with overlapping feedstock (agricultural residue) and conversion know-how to NARA's wood-based platform.
• Sunfire: Sunfire develops power-to-liquid and high-temperature electrolysis-based synthetic fuels including renewable kerosene; an emerging player in the e-SAF space that competes with bio-based SAF pathways for aviation decarbonization mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NARA_Renewables
• YouTubeyoutube.com/washingtonstateuniv
• Facebookfacebook.com/232111166837523
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/washington-state-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance